A change in origin
by Dragionx
Summary: What would have happened if someone else hatched Spike before Twilight? What would have happened if Spike was abandoned by that pony? How would this affect the kingdom of Equestria and those who reside in it? If you want to find out then you are going to have to read the story. Hope you all enjoy. Please comment and review honestly so I can improve my writing.
1. Chapter 1

There were very few things in the world that could cause the dragon known as Spike to worry. An invading army, no problem. A pack of Timberwolves attacking a village, child's play. However, when Twilight Sparkle, his partner under Princess Celestia's tutelage, locked herself in her room for days at a time he would admit to being concerned. It was for this very reason that the teenage dragon who stood a head above most stallions knocked on the door.

"Twilight. Is everything alright in there? You've been in there for 3 days straight from my count and Celestia is considering deducting points from your last test because of your poor hygiene." Spike stepped from the door and lifted 3 claws. _She'll be out in 2 . . . 1._ The door slammed into the wall leaving a clean impression with a hyperventilating Twilight standing in the doorway.

"Have to take shower. Must make sure I don't fail test." She nearly ran off but Spike had gripped her tail and got her attention. "Spike I nee-" He pressed a claw to her muzzle and chuckled a bit.

"That part about Celestia was a lie. Seriously, when will you stop falling for that." she blushed and looked away in embarrassment, "However, my dear self-proclaimed intellectual equal. You are in need of a very long shower and an explanation of what you have been doing." Twilight went to explain but he held up his claw, "Shower first."

(AFTER A MUCH NEEDED SHOWER)

The two of them sat in their kitchen and sipped some tea. "Spike do you remember the stories of Nightmare Moon?" he nodded "She was once Princess Celestia's sister but fell into darkness and tried to drown the world in eternal night. Celestia had to banish Nightmare Moon to the moon in order to stop her. It was said that she would come back a thousand years after her banishment and that day falls on the Rising of the Sun celebration. I've been checking and double checking all of my research but it looks like I'm right. Nightmare Moon will come back."

Spike just nodded his head and maintained eye contact. He sighed and rested his chin in his claw. "Even if you are right it's not like Celestia would lose to her. If she won before she'll win again."

"But Spike, Celestia had to use the elements of harmony to defeat her but I can't find anything on their location." Spike looked at one of the few ponies he truly cared for and saw absolute misery. He stood up and patted her head.

"If it makes you feel any better I will talk to Celestia about it tomorrow." She was about to protest but he silenced her, "You and I both agreed to go to the party that Moondancer decided to throw and no equal of mine would go back on their word. Now grab the gift and we'll go to the party. Afterwards I'll stop by the castle and tell her what you found." Spike got up and walked out of their house/library. The first time he had seen it he had laughed at the prospect of a dragon living in a building filled to the brim with flammable books. Now however, he only looked at it with a smile. It may not be home to him but it was the closest thing he had.

Thankfully Twilight was not a girly girl mare like the rest of Canterlot's residents so she was out in a couple of minutes. Spike bowed to her and offered her his claw which she accepted with a worried sigh. "Spike I really don't think we should waste our time on something like this considering what might be at risk. If I'm right than we can't afford to waste any time. Celestia needs to know about this now." He shook his head at her complete and utter idiocy.

"Twilight, do you think that you know more than Celestia?" It was a simple question which she didn't think about answering.

"Of course not, she is our teacher after all."

"Then did it occur to you that Celestia would already know about the warning signs." Once again Twilight was left blushing because Spike had once again pointed out something dreadfully obvious. "I'm not saying that Celestia is perfect Twilight; however, I do have a good deal of faith in her abilities otherwise I wouldn't be her student. You shouldn't assume that she is helpless Twilight. Celestia has defended the kingdom since long before we were both born."

"How is it that you always find a way to outthink me? It does get a little annoying at times."

"We dragons are very wise and powerful creatures that have terrorized other species for generations. It is no surprise that MY brilliance is greater than some mere pony." Spike finished off with an over the top noble accent. Twilight giggled a bit to which he smirked. "A blush and a giggle within the same hour. May I dare say that Twilight Sparkle is graduating from shut-in nerd to social nerd."

"Will you please stop, we're almost there."

"Just forget about the whole Nightmare Moon stuff for now and enjoy yourself. I promise that if there is a threat then I will personally deal with it." Twilight smiled and stared at her first true friend.

 _Thank you Spike. You really are amazing aren't you._

(LATER THAT NIGHT AFTER THE PARTY)

Spike made his way into Celestia's castle all the while receiving disgusted glances from the guards that he passed. He shook his head at the ignorance of the ponies that couldn't seem to remember that he had grown within the walls of canterlot. After passing a few more unpleasant individuals he had made it to Celestia's personal quarters. He knocked on the door and waited a few moments before a tired mare opened the door. "Spike please come in. To what do I owe this surprise visit?" He stepped past the door and crossed his arms while leaning against the wall.

"Simply put . . . Twilight is smarter than you give her credit for. She's already trying to track down the elements. I've managed to stop her from continuing but you of all ponies know how I feel about lying." Spike stared into her eyes and saw what others could never seem to acknowledge. She was tired and hurt. She had been for a thousand years and no one had been there for her. He placed his claw against her cheek and allowed it to warm her. "I hate doing this to her and I know you do to."

"She is the best hope for summoning the elements of harmony. If we were to tell her how much lies on her shoulders I fear how it would affect her mind. Spike, You are my most trusted friend and I would not ask this of you if I did not believe that it were absolutely necessary." Her voice was almost as silent as the wind but his dragon ears heard her words loud and clear. Spike hugged her head to his chest and felt her tears fall. It broke his heart to see such a strong mare cry but what else could she do? She was going to see her sister after a thousand years and they will have to fight again but this time there is the smallest chance that they could save Luna from her fate. But the only way to do that was to lie to her student that wanted to do nothing more than help.

"Celestia I want you to do me one favor." She pulled away to look him in the eyes,

"What is your favor Spike?"

"Believe that I'll do whatever it takes to reunite you with Luna. I swear on my honor as a dragon that I will not fail. You deserve this hope so just do that for me this once." It was brief but he thought he saw a light in her eyes.

"Spike I don't say this enough but thank you."

"Whatever, just make sure that the next time you cry it's because you're happy. I might be a powerful dragon but it kills my heart to see you in this much pain. Goodnight Celestia." He left her room and looked down at his claw wondering how he cold use his power to help save princess Luna. "This week is going to hurt so much."


	2. Chapter 2

(The Next Morning)

Spike walked into Twilight's room and found her asleep with a tiny bit of drool leaking out of her mouth and onto a book. He gently removed the book and placed it on one of the many shelves. Glancing back at the sleeping mare Spike gave a menacing chuckle. Leaning so that he could whisper into her ear, "Twilight . . . I don't know how to say this but . . . I burned down the library."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!" she jumped out of the bed hitting Spike in the shoulder sending both of them scrambling to the floor. After a few seconds of rolling they stopped with an angry Twilight glaring down at Spike. "What did you do to the library?"

"You really are cuter when you're angry." She instantly went blank for a minute before her face went from it's normal color to a very dark purple. "HAAHAHHAHAHAHA. Oh man if you could only see the look on your face. It's priceless Twilight, plus you were drooling on a book in your sleep so I took it upon myself to give you a minor punishment." She growled a bit before getting up and going downstairs. He chased after her and let out another burst of laughter.

"what is so funny now Spike? Nightmare Moon could be here at any moment and you go and do something like this. This is not the time for childish pranks." Spike released a sigh and stared at the mare in front of him.

"I talked to her last night Twilight. She knew about Nightmare Moon and has put a plan into action." He could still see the tension in her body and couldn't stand it. He ran a claw through her mane, "She told me that if anything bad does happen then I can take you to the final resting place of the elements of harmony. That way if she can't save her sister we can do something about it. She has faith in you Twilight, almost as much as I do. So please stop worrying about this and focus on what Celestia wants us to do."

"Thank you Spike, I think I needed that. But what is it that she wants us to do?"

"Oh right, forgot to tell you that first." Spike smacked his forehead and pulled out a scroll from seemingly nowhere. "Celestia wants us to go to Ponyville and make sure that the festival is coming along smoothly. She has a carriage ready to take us there and she also expressed that she wanted and I quote "Please make sure that you make some friends. You and Twilight are my most prized students but you need to learn to rely on your hearts more. You would be amazed at the power of friendship."

"You can't be serious." She said with an almost desperate tone.

"I swear on my dragon code that it is the truth. Now then my adorable mare, pack your bags cause we are hitting the road . . . clouds . . . sky. Yeah we're hitting the sky." He continued to mumble off causing Twilight to shake her head at his antics.

"Alright just let me eat first and we can be on our way." In an instant Spike disappeared and reappeared wearing an apron and a confidant smirk.

"What does your stomach desire my fair maiden." All she could do was shake her head feeling that it would be a very long day.

(Timeskip brought by the fact that I am kinda lazy and livin la vida loca.)

"OK so first off we have to meet with a mare named Fluttershy who's in charge of music for the festival. I wonder if she's cute. What about you Twilight, cute or beautiful, which will she be?" Twilight slammed her head against her book.

"First off don't you think it's a bit shallow to ask something like that about someone you haven't met. Secondly, why would you ask me? And finally, I don't care nor do I think it matters as long as she is able to have the music ready for the festival." She glanced down at her book and continued to read.

"Are you afraid that she'll steal my heart from you Twilight. Don't worry no matter how cute she is my heart will only beat for you. After all, no one is as cute as you are when you get angry." Spike continued to mess with Twilight until she snapped and used her magic to fling the book into Spike's head. He instantly dropped to the ground clutching his skull. "Fine I give up but you could show me some mercy. DO you know how boring it is for me with you reading that book and not saying anything? It's not like I can go outside and talk to our kind entourage."

"Why not, you have your wings don't you?"

"Maybe, but I enjoy talking to you. Plus it might be bad for you if I distract them with my never-ending and amazing humor." He said with an open-toothed smile showing off his fangs. Twilight sighed and put down her book.

"What else do we have to check on?" She asked barely above a whisper but by now Twilight knew his ears could pick it up. He sat back in his seat and looked further down the scroll.

"There's a single Pegasus in charge of keeping the sky clear of any clouds. It says her name is Rainbow Dash. She must be pretty good if she has to keep it clear on her own. Wonder if she'd like to race me, oh well on with the list. Then it looks like a mare named Rarity is in charge of a team of ponies who are setting up the decorations. Hahhahahaha." Spike burst out laughing and clutched his sides.

"What did you find Spike?" Twilight picked up the scroll and read until she saw that all of the food was being prepared by the Apple family. "Are you really laughing that there's a family with the last name Apple making the food?"

Spike calmed himself down enough to shake his head. "A few years ago there was a problem with some Timber Wolves that entered their orchards. Celestia asked me to go and deal with them since they are made of wood and I can breathe fire. I took care of them in a couple of days and spent the rest of the week helping them get their farm up and running. The reason that I laughed so hard is because I can imagine Applejack running back and forth trying her best to make sure all of the food is absolutely perfect. I'm glad that I can see them all again. They really are a good bunch." Spike just smiled to himself and leaned back. For the first time in a while he actually allowed himself to relax.

"It seems that this Applejack is a very important mare. Should I be jealous?" She asked sarcastically though she really was curious. Spike only got that look when he talked about her or Celestia. To see him with that look while thinking of another mare caused an ache in her heart for some reason.

"It's nothing like that at all Twilight. It's just that her and her family didn't judge me for a second. They weren't scared of me they didn't glare at me. They were just . . . kind. Something that I haven't felt from anyone but Shining Armor, Celestia, and you. So . . . I'm really happy to see them all again." Twilight smiled at her friend happy that he knew somepony that didn't judge him. It was obvious that Spike was always being stared at in Canterlot, which was a large portion of why she didn't bother to make friends with them. She was sure Spike thought it was because she was anti-social but it was because they treated Spike like he was different. He was the best friend anypony could ask for and they looked at him as if he might attack him at the drop of a hat. Anypony that would treat her best friend like that would never be worth her time.

"Well in that case maybe it won't be so hard to make a new friend or two." Spike opened his eyes and stared into her brilliant violet orbs.

"I think that you would get along just fine. That is if you don't mind the accent. So is that all that we have to check on?" Twilight took another look at the scroll.

"It says that the party after the festival is being planned by Pinkie Pie." Spike's face instantly went blank.

"Who?"

"Pinkie Pie."

. . .

. . .

. . .

"Twilight I would love to go with you to Ponyville I really would but it just occurred to me that I left my rubies on fire back in the kitchen in Canterlot so I should go back and check on them." Spike jumped out the door and hit dirt. Looking up he saw the small town that he needed to get away from now. "Alright she hasn't noticed I'm here yet and if I'm lucky then her senses haven't picked me up yet." He stood and spread his wings only to be tackled by a pink blur.

"OH my gosh. OH my gosh. OH my gosh. I can't believe you're here Spike this time I'll be sure to throw you the biggest and bestest welcome to Ponyville party EVER!" Spike did the best he could to cover his ears. but Pinkie had him in a very tight embrace.

"Twilight for the love of Celestia help me." Spike groaned out to his supposed friend who was beside the carriage giggling at her friends misfortune.

"I take it that you are Pinkie Pie?"

"Yepsy doosie daisy. And you must be Spike's friend Twilight Sparkle. I wanted to throw him a welcome to Ponyville party a couple years ago but he said that he couldn't stand to be away from you any longer than necessary. You two must be super duper best besties." Spike just hung his head as the blush spread from his cheeks to his neck to the top of his chest.

"You could say it's something like that but Spike and I are here on business from Canterlot and we would like to see how the party planning for after the festival is coming along." If it was even possible the pink mare got even more excited.

"Well I had everything set up and ready to go but now I need to go and plan for an even bigger and better party. So I gotta go and show you that I'm the best super duper party pony around." Before either one of them could blink Pinkie was gone in a flash leaving behind only a trail of dust.

"Well . . . Spike did you understand what she said?" He groaned and nodded his head.

"Come on let's find the others so we can get this little job done." He started heading down a path that seemed to cut right through the middle of town, all the while mumbling about crazy energy-filled ponies. Twilight trotted up to him giggling to herself.

"So you can't stand to be away from me huh?" Spike kept staring at the dirt allowing his other senses to guide him.

"Don't look into it to much Twi. I just wanted to make sure that you were still there, it was nothing more than that. So can you just forget about that so we can get this over and done with? If at all possible I'd like to spend some time with Applejack and her family."

"Relax Spike, I was just kidding. I think I'm entitled to do that with all the comments you've made about when I'm angry." He sighed and shook his head.

"You really are lucky that I'm the greatest dragon ever. Normally a dragon would instantly retaliate but since you're such a lovely mare I'll let it slide." She instantly lit up like a Hearts Warming tree. **(I think that's their version of Christmas if I'm wrong please tell me so I can fix it)** "Besides at least everything I say about you is the truth . . . You really are the most beautiful mare that I know."

"Spike I am no where near as beautiful as Celestia."

"I said mare Twilight not goddess. In that category you are ranked 2nd." Twilight stopped instantly and felt her face turn scarlet as her jaw dropped. "Come on Twilight we don't have all day."

 **A/N Next chapter will be a bit longer because Spike and Twilight will be meeting everyone else as well as getting a full taste of the powers of the super duper part pony. I don't know what I'll be doing about all the pairings yet but I do intend to give Spike a small harem. With that said I won't be writing any smut/clop the M rating is to be safe with the cussing and violence. As for Spike's full description: he is around 5'6", he has red scales and yellow spines, same green eyes cause those are badass/adorable, and he has his wings. He is also around the same age as Twilight. I don't know if they were ever given official ages and the Equestria Girls movies just make it harder to narrow down.**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N I am so sorry for not updating in so long. I had most of this written and then I had to babysit my little cousins. Unfortunately one of them loves to throw their drinks all over the place and during that process my laptop was destroyed. I finally have another one after saving up enough money and now I will be updating more often. I hope no one is angry or upset but please enjoy the latest chapter. I don't own MLP or the characters in this fanfic comment and review honestly so that I can be a better writer for myself and all of you.

The two continued to tease each other with Spike seeming to deal the most effective blows. They also took notice that the entire town was doing something to prepare for the Summer Sun Celebration, which was a nice refreshing pace compared to the strict and rich fashion of Canterlot. "OK if we keep this up we'll never get anything done. I think that we should head to the Apple's farm because I don't know where we would find anyone else that's on the list."

"You just want to see that Applejack girl don't you?" Twilight asked in a matter of fact tone.

"That's not the only reason. I also miss Applebloom and Big Macintosh, like I said earlier the whole family is great. Although I could have gone the entire week without Applebloom trying to see if dragons could get cutie marks," She stared at him with shocked eyes.

"Really? What did she try to get you to do?"

"She thought that I was doing such a good job helping them with the farm that my special talent was one of their chores. So she convinced me to do at least one round of everything on their property. To say the least it was exhausting but I had a great deal of respect for all of them before it was over." Twilight started to laugh as Spike rubbed his neck remembering just how painful the experience was. Taking a glance at Twilight he thought that she cold use a little hands on experience herself.

They continued on until the town faded behind the hills and they were surrounded by apple trees. "How can anyone find their way through this maze?!"

"Orchard Twilight."

"You really helped get all of this taken care of in a week?" She asked in shock and a tiny bit of disbelief.

"Not all of it, but me and Applejack were able to get about half of the orchard done. I thought you worked hard on your tests but you're nothing compared to her working on the farm. If I wasn't determined to help them out I could have sat and watched her all day long. . ." Spike finally realized what he said and fell to the ground with a blush barely visible on his cheeks.

"Must be a really pretty mare if you could watch her all day." Twilight stated.

"That's not what I meant . . . I mean she is really beautiful but it's more than that . . . She has this kind of grace about her when she works. Plus I am willing to bet that she could kick a dragon halfway across Equestria."

"Even you mister greatest dragon ever."

"Yep, she's that strong and it's amazing. Any dragon would want a mate like h- I mean any pony would be lucky to have somepony like her. Yeah, that is what I meant." Twilight just nodded along not buying it for a second. "OK fine there might be a slight bit of attraction on my part but it's just that. A week is not enough to fall in love with somepony it takes a lot longer than that I assure you."

"Whatever you say Spike." The two students continued down the path until they saw the Apple family's farm. The view hit Spike with a wave of nostalgia. It was true that he only spent a week with them but it had left a large impact on him as a dragon. He trained relentlessly to be stronger and smarter but it was nothing compared to how Applejack pushed herself for her family.

"It's a shame there aren't any dragons like her."

"What did you say Spike?"

"I said let's see if she needs our help." He ever so slightly picked up his pace forcing Twilight to trot in order to keep up. They walked right on through the barn doors and saw what seemed to be a small army of ponies making all kinds of apple themed foods. However, among all of the different ponies he instantly spotted the youngest member of this very extensive family. Spike made his way over to the small filly and tapped her shoulder. "Howdy little lady. Could ya point me in the direction of yer sister?" Spike asked with his best country accent. (Truth be told it isn't that good)

"Depends on who's askin." Applebloom said as she turned and came face to face with the crimson scaled dragon.

"Well I figured you wouldn't mind having some help from the greatest dragon farm hand ever." The second he gave his toothy grin he was tackled by the mini missile.

"Spike I can't believe yer here. Did ya come here to stay fer good?" She looked at him with a quivering lip and sparkling eyes. All Spike could do was pat her head and sigh.

"I would like that Applebloom but I'm here till the festival ends, after that it's back to Canterlot for me." She looked like she was about to burst into tears so he wrapped his arms around her, "But don't you worry I plan to spend as much time as I can with you and AJ."

"Ya really mean it?"

"I swear on my honor as a dragon and my secret stash of gems that I really really mean it." He stood and put her down. "Sooooo where is your sister at and what's with the dozens of ponies?"

"They're our family from all over Equestria sugarcube." Spike turned and saw the mare that had earned his respect and trust in less than a week. He tried to say something but found it very difficult to move.

"Hello, you must be Applejack, my name is Twilight Sparkle and from what I have gathered you already know my friend Spike."

"Any friend of Spike's is a welcome friend of mine. Ya sure have grown since the last time I saw ya. How have ya been Spike?" The dragon stood and scratched the back of his head.

"I can easily say that I've had better days. Seriously, do you know how many times I've been tackled by a mare today? Although if I get to see somepony as lovely as you I think I can get over it." He grinned thankful that his scales hid his blush.

"So yer still workin that silver tounge of yers huh?"

"I wouldn't be me if I didn't Applejack. But all jokes aside I'm really happy to see you." The two hugged one another and started to walk away from the rest of the Apple family.

"So Spike, what are you and yer friend doin in Ponyville?"

"We're here on orders from the princess to make sure the festival is coming along smoothly. Unfortunately you are the only one that I know. So I was hoping that you could finally give me an official tour of the town while helping us find the others on our list."

She chuckled and nodded her head. "I would love to help ya both but first I need you to help us."

"Just tell us what you need us to do Applejack. I'm sure that Spike or myself can get the job done." Twilight said in an overly cheery voice with a twitching left eye.

"Oh don't worry it ain't nothin that's too hard . . . WE HAVE TASTE TESTERS." A large dust cloud surrounded Twilight and Spike as well as the sound of stampeding hooves. When the dust settled there was an enormous table with dozens of different dishes.

"This. Is. The. Best. Job. EVER." Spike seemed to dive into the table tasting everything he could get his claws on. Whereas Twilight lifted them one at a time with her magic and tried to show some manners. In almost as much time as it was set up the food had been devoured by a relaxed Spike and satisfied Twilight. "Well all of this is absolutely amazing but I would add some cinnamon to the pies and the applesauce, but everything else tasted perfect to me. I'm surprised your talents are in farming and not cooking."

The army of ponies gave a thank you to Spike and Twilight then went back to work leaving Applebloom and Applejack with them. "Alright then sugarcube, tell me who it is ya need to see and I'll see what I can do for ya." Twilight pulled out the scroll and cleared her throat.

"We've already kind of met with Pinkie Pie and you. That leaves Fluttershy who's in charge of the music, Rainbow Dash who's in charge of keeping the sky clear, and Rarity who's in charge of the decor. If you don't know where we can find them then we can always go to the mayor." She rolled up the scroll and put it away as Applejack let out a chuckle.

"Figures they'd put Dash in charge of gettin rid of the clouds, but don't ya worry Twilight. I know where we can find em."

"Can I tag along sis? I've already done all my chores and it isn't fair if you're the only one who gets ta hang out with Spike."

"It's up to them not me." Applebloom looked at Spike with the same face as earlier causing the dragon to silently curse.

"I don't mind but don't ask me to fly you around anywhere. Last time you fell off and I nearly had a heart attack." The little filly grumbled but was still more or less happy. "So I guess we should get moving huh?"

"Fluttershy lives near the forest so that she can take care of the animals and give them a mostly natural habitat. She's the closest to us and we might find Rainbow Dash there." Applejack started to lead the way while Applebloom began to question Spike and Twilight about their lives in Canterlot. It was a somewhat long walk that provided plenty of questions and many disappointing answers.

Applebloom couldn't for the life of her understand why Spike would want to stay in that city. He had described how hardly anyone would approach him because he was seen as a menacing dragon. She knew he was tough; anyone that could walk into Ponyville with a smirk and take down a group of Timberwolves had to be. He also said that the only real friends he had there were Twilight, her brother, and Celestia herself.

"Honestly, it don't sound as wonderful as Rarity or Silverspoon make it out to be. No offense but they sound like real jerks." Spike roared in laughter at her statement. Clutching his side with one claw and wiping a few tears with the other he finally reeled himself back.

"You can't offend anyone with the truth. But like I said there are ponies in the city that are worth getting to know. And while I don't have many friends I know a few of the students in Celestia's school that are pretty good company. The only downside to being around them is that they want to study me to see how a young dragon can use such powerful magic. At least Moondancer didn't ask if she could strap me to a table and run a few experiments. They remind of a certain unicorn I met a few years back." He looked at Twilight and saw a blush steadily travel across her face. "Do you remember her Twi?"

"Please stop?" she pleaded as the blush intensified. "I was really excited to see a dragon like you . . . and I might have lost sight of the fact that you weren't a magic experiment to be studied."

"Oh sure like it's easy to forget that a dragon is a living being. But don't worry Twilight if you ever want to run some tests on me or strap me down to a table all you have to do is ask." He winked and bit his tongue to stifle his laughter. Twilight body was almost beet red and it looked like steam was coming from her ears. The Apples however, were laughing their tails off seeing the purple mare now red.

"Ya know Twilight you could pass as my big brother's twin with how red ya are." Applebloom said in between laughs causing Spike to finally break. Her embarrassment quickly turned to anger with Spike's laughter so she used her magic. Before Spike could react he was surrounded in Twilight's magic and transported face first into a mud puddle. He pushed himself up and looked at her.

"Classy Twilight and really imatur-" Some of the mud fell on his tongue and he started to gag on the horrible taste. He clawed at his tongue and breathed out small green flame. "It tastes even worse burnt!" He was now rolling on the ground while the girls chuckled at his antics. As he kept clawing at his tongue Twilight shot his mouth with a large stream of water causing him to fly back a bit.

"Is that classy enough for you Spike." Twilight said with a smirk that promised a few more pranks if he were to open his mouth. Nodding his head and spitting out a bit of water the dragon spread his wings and gave a hard flap sending him soaring into the sky. The winds made Twilight fall on her back to see a grinning Spike.

"I am ever so sorry Miss Sparkle but I needed to dry off." He folded his wings and dropped beside the girls. "Oh, does Fluttershy have a yellow coat with pink hair?"

"She sure does Spike. Although, how do ya know that?" Applejack asked slightly confused.

Spike pointed to the next hill, "Cause there's a mare over on the other side of that hill with a bunch of birds tweeting away."

"Well then let's go ahead and get this over with." Twilight said with an annoyed smile as she tried to get a few twigs out of her mane. Within a few minutes the girls heard a beautiful melody coming from the birds.

As they drew nearer the birds stopped their singing and the pink-mane pegasus flew to the top of the tree and started talking. Once they got close enough Spike cleared his throat and called out, "Hello are you Fluttershy?" The mare let out a high pitched scream and the birds flew off.

"Now sugarcube everything is alright. This here is my friend Spike, he's a dragon from Canterlot and he's here with his friend to help with the Summer Sun Celebration." Fluttershy continued to shake like a leaf but looked up at her friend and then to Spike and Twilight.

"Big sis is right Fluttershy. There ain't any reason to be scared of Spike. I know yer scared of dragons but he's a real nice one." she flew down to them but kept her gave to the ground.

"Oh I'm terribly sorry for reacting like that. That was not very nice of me." She said so he took a few steps forward and smiled at her.

"Hello Fluttershy, it's alright if you're scared. I've gotten pretty used to it since most ponies react to me that way. Although I did want to ask if you taught those birds to sing like that." She nodded her head. "Wow, you're pretty awesome. Do you think you could show me how you did it sometime? I know a few birds in the royal gardens and they can't sing half as well as that."

"I'm sorry if I upset you Mr. Dragon but I've never heard of a nice dragon before." She apologized with sincerity. He smiled sadly and looked her in the eyes.

"It's alright; we don't exactly have the best reputation. Also you can call me Spike, there's no need for formalities. Like I said you aren't the first to react like that and I am sure that you won't be the last. But thank you for apologizing; honestly I can't remember the last time somepony did that." The two Apples stared at the dragon and saw quite a bit of sadness in his eyes. Twilight stood beside him and placed her hoof on his back. He was able to regain his happiness with that and let out a loud chuckle. "Well do you need any help rounding up your birds?"

"No, I was going to give them a break anyway. They have been working really really hard all day. I hope that you have a good time Mr. Dragon."

"Please just call me Spike."

xxx

The four of them continued on to ponyville in silence, though Applebloom and Applejack shared a few concerned glances. On the other hand, Spike and Twilight were enjoying the view and atmosphere that the town had. Applebloom had finally had enough of the silence and was about to ask something when a blur shot right past her and crashed into Spike. The dragon rubbed the back of his head and stared at the mare on top of him. "Is today "jump a Spike day" or something. Hey Twilight you didn't curse me with some ancient magic right."

"No Spike it's just your luck at play." The drake was about to retort but the mare recovered and flew back into the air.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was practicing my spectacular moves to show off to the Wonder Bolts and then I crashed into you . . . who are you exactly? I don't think I've ever seen a dragon in Ponyville before."

"The name is Spike. So you're trying out for the Wonder Bolts huh? I happen to know a few of their members personally. I don't know if you've got what it takes miss . . ." The pegasus gave a small growl and flew in front of him.

"I'm Rainbow Dash and I'm the best flyer in all of Equestria."

"Is that so? In that case you wouldn't say no to a little challenge would you?"

"Of course not, just name your game." She hovered and gave a confident grin. "There's no way I'll lose to you."

"Alright then, from here it looks like there are the same number of clouds on each side of city hall. You take the left side and I'll take the right, whoever clears all the clouds on their side and makes it back to this spot first wins." She gave a nod and got beside him waiting for a countdown. Applebloom, wanting to get in on the action took Applejack's hat and threw it into the air. It swayed back and forth with the wind and ever so slowly descended to the ground. The instant the hat dropped to the dirt their wings flapped and they rocketed to the sky. Spike flew through the clouds ripping them to mere shreds with his claws while Rainbow kicked them apart with her hooves. In a measly five seconds the two were done with the clouds and racing back. They were neck in neck, grinning like insane idiots as they tried to fly faster than the other.

Their wings seemed to beat a million miles a second as their speed increased. To the world they were nothing but a blur but to them they were side by side as the world came to a slow crawl. They were focused entirely on beating the other. Focused on getting to that one spot first. So focused that they didn't notice that they were about to slam into one another.

*CRASH*

The two were hanging from a tree with a few bruises. Twilight, Applejack, and Applebloom rushed over to the two of them worried sick but found Spike laughing uncontrollably. "Rainbow Dash, you are without a doubt the fastest pony I have ever met. I hope we can do this again."

"Please I was just taking it easy on you. If I had been going at my full speed you wouldn't have stood a chance." The two stopped for a second and laughed once more. "Well I guess I'll see you around."

"Sure thing. And if you ever need help with the Wonderbolts just call on me alright." The cyan pegasus gave a salute and flew away without another word. He dusted himself off and put his hands behind his head. "So where is Rarity at?"

XXX

They walked all the way to city hall where Celestia would arrive and give a speech before actually raising the sun. The décor seemed to be mixed with gems that reflected the light that fell into the building. In all honesty it was a beautiful sight. Applebloom was beaming with pride as she talked about how one of her best friends was Rarity's little sister. "Sweetiebell our friend Scootaloo and me started the Cutie Mark Crusaders. We try all sorts of new stuff to try and get our Cutie Marks. Although so far we haven't had any luck, but we've had tons of fun together."

"I'm sure if you and your friends keep trying you'll find out what yours is eventually." Twilight said with a knowing smile. Although it was hard to take her seriously with her mane messed up.

"Besides even if you don't manage to get one we won't think any less of you. I know a mare that never found hers and she can play the violin better than anyone in Equestria. I listened to her during the Grand Galloping Gala a few years back and I swear that I haven't heard something played so beautifully. Despite what others said about her and despite the fact that she never found her Cutie Mark, she marked her place in the world. So you and your friends keep those chins up cause with or without one I know you'll do amazing things." Spike patted her head and gave a smirk.

They soon came upon an ivory mare with a violet mane that would leave most stallions drooling. At least that's what Spike thought as he eyed the mare. "Is she our fashionista girls?"

"Yeah that's her but if she tries to get me in a dress I'm gettin out of here." Applejack said rather quickly. The image of Applejack in a dress entered Spike's mind but he quickly bit his tongue to stop himself from acting like an idiot.

Twilight took the lead and tried talking to the mare. "Umm excuse me Ms. Rarity, my name is Twilight Sparkle and I am here to see how things are moving along." Rarity didn't really give a response; she just nodded her head and tried to decide what color of ribbon to use. "I can see that you're busy and that everything is going well so we'll just be on our way and get out of your hair."

"Oh Rarity darling what were you thinking? Purple is just the most wonderful color to use for such an occasion. Now then, how may I help you today? OH MY! Darling what happened to your mane?" Rarity was beside Twilight faster than Pinkie could say cupcakes. "Oh this is just simply awful. I'll take you to my bouquet and get you fixed up." Before anyone could say anything Rarity was dragging Twilight away.

"So what is she going to do to Twilight exactly?" Spike asked nervously.

"More than likely, she's gonna fix her mane and then make her try on all kinds of dresses and outfits. Honestly the last time she did that to me I about lost it." Applejack said to try and encourage Spike to help Twilight but it didn't really work.

"In other words one of the most uptight mares that I know of is going to be put through a fashion show and I'll have a front row ticket . . . DOES ANYONE HAVE A CAMERA THAT I CAN BORROW FOR A FEW DAYS. I'M TAKING PICTURES OF A CUTE BOOKWORM'S FIRST FASHION SHOW!" Out of nowhere Cheese Sandwich appeared with a working camera.

"Here you go Spike. Are you still going to help me with my issue?" Spike rushed to cover his mouth.

"I told you I will do what I can but you don't show up for a few seasons. This is totally breaking the fourth wall."

"Did someone say they needed a fourth wall broken?" Pinkie asked from the ceiling.

"No we don't want to break the fourth wall this is supposed to be a serious story." Spike cried out as a headache started to form.

"Wait this is a story? I love stories. What kind of story is it? Action romance bromance ooooooh is it a chimie-chunga story?"

"Just skip ahead to the fashion show please."

"There's gonna be a fashion show. I need streamers and balloons and cake and ice-cream and sprinkles and tons and tons of cupcakes and more sugar and…..

XXX

Once that situation was resolved Spike said goodbye to the Apple sisters and caught up with Twilight and Rarity. Twilight was still struggling with the fashionista but she wasn't having any luck. Honestly it was kind of pitiful to look at but Spike had a camera ready regardless of his friend's protests. "You have nothing to worry about. Rarity will have your mane fixed in no time at all darling. And then we can see about getting you an outfit for the Summer Sun Celebration. Could you imagine seeing the Princess in all of her glory? Oh I can hardly wait."

"Actually we've come here from Canterlot this morning." Twilight managed to squeeze out amongst the designer's constant rambling.

"That is absolutely amazing. How is life in Canterlot? Oh I've seen the buildings before and the fashion shows put on there are simply amazing. Of course I'm sure that a resident's opinion is far more accurate than a tourist's."

"Well you aren't exactly wrong there Mademoiselle." Spike said startling the poor mare.

"Oh I'm so sorry mister I will be with you in a minute after I finish with this mare here." She went back to fixing Twilight's mane.

"I'm not a customer actually. That mare and I are here to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. Or more accurately, Princess Celestia asked us to come here." She was frozen in shock and Spike held up three of his claws.

3 . . .

2 . . .

1

"Oh heavens, the two of you met the princess."

"We're her students." Twilight said once she was finally able to get up and away from the fashion crazed mare. "We finished our job by seeing what you had done to City Hall and believe me when I say it was wonderful. Thank you for fixing my mane though." She was quickly walking to the door but got stopped by Spike.

"Hey Rarity how good do you think she would look in a dress?" Twilight looked at him confused then noticed the devilish glint in his eye and tried running. Then she saw his camera and almost had a heart attack. "I think Celestia would enjoy pictures of her number 1 student experiencing her very first fashion show."

"I would be honored." Rarity brought out a rack filled with weird, elegant, and beautiful dresses. "Where should we start?" Twilight hung her head in defeat and accepted her fate.

Rarity had Twilight try on a multitude of dresses and while some of them made Spike laugh more than enough showed Twilight's beauty. Spike didn't say anything as they walked to the library they would be staying at, he only hummed a quiet tune. The same could not be said about the mare accompanying him. "I can't believe you put me through that. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was? I swear that I will never put on a dress again. That was the most uncomfortable experience of my life." Spike ceased his humming and sighed.

"I thought you might enjoy yourself if I pushed you out of your comfort zone. Sorry. If you really aren't going to wear a dress again then I can be happy knowing I'm the only guy that gets to see that side of you." Spike tried to joke but the bitterness in his voice revealed his regret.

"I looked ridiculous."

"No you didn't. If anything you were more beautiful than Celestia." He rushed forward and opened the door to the library only to be hit with a blast of confetti.

"SURPRISE!" shouted Pinkie Pie and what seemed to be all of Ponyville's residents. "Welcome to Ponyville."


End file.
